Menace

We had a class this morning. When we got there, I put Owen down on the floor for a minute to take off my coat, and in the ten seconds I took to do that he crawled over to another baby and bit him. On the cheek. Hard. I had to peel his jaws off the poor, screaming child, and an hour later the other baby was still sporting a bright red impression of Owen's six evil teeth on the side of his face.

First person who tells me to give Owen a frozen washcloth gets slapped. Now, where is the duct tape?

I used a little thing that is made of mesh. You put pieces of fruit or veg in it, roll down the plastic tie, and the babe chews on the mesh and gets the juice but no choking chunks... I think Gerber makes it?! Got it at our local grocery store in the baby section.

Oh man, I hate to tell you what I did because I still feel like it might cast me as an abuser, but here it goes.

My oldest kept biting any little one she could find. I was freaking out because, like Owen, she would clamp down and not let go. After she got my cheek and would not let go I did the unthinkable. I flicked her mouth. She wailed. For an hour. Also, never bit again.

I would do it again if I had to, but it's not an easy thing to do to your own child and I only recommend it if it keeps getting worse.

When I was a baby apparently I was a biter (me?! never!), and the only way my mother got me to stop was as soon as I bit her, she bit me back -- not really hard, but enough to get the point across. Worked like a charm!

Owen and my baby are the same age - so I enjoy reading your stories during her bedtime nursing session. This one just made me cringe!! Poor you! Wow I have no idea what I would do to make him stop. It would be hard to smack or bite I should think (as I glance down at the peaceful bundle cross my lap). Maybe you could rub something bitter tasting on your arm and then let him take a chomp. :) A

Oh man... The drama that must have caused!! Gosh, the only thing I can think of would be to try and communicate, in a "language" he can understand that biting is a nono. A stern look and a loud "NO" would make my daughter cry in most cases.. not that making her cry was my goal, but she seemed to get the picture. I dunno, this is a tough one. Hmmm.. How about taking the coffee table with you on each outing?!

Clementine was never a biter, but she did have a good friend who had some biting issues, including one memorable occasion that left tooth marks on her arm for more than a week. I don't know how to get Owen to stop biting altogether, but I will say that when Jasper was at our house and he bit, his mother apologized and they left immediately. Young as he was, he seemed to get the message (after a few times) that biting meant that they went home and, as the injured party's parent, I felt pacified because Jasper's mom was trying to make a change in his behavior.

Sigh...my son used to crawl up to me and bite my calf. I was always worried that he would do it to another kid. Now he occasionally smacks me, but never my husband (we don't hit anyone, or anything, so I am not sure where he learned that). If you find a solution, please let me know! Until then, you at least have my sympathy.

um, well, not to incite a riot or anything but i finally had to bite carson back. he would. not. stop. even with the mesh thingy, the washcloths, the duct tape (kidding), etc. i spoke sternly, tapped his lips with one finger while saying "NO," put him in the playpen for time out, etc. one day he bit me stomach and drew blood and then drew back and DID IT AGAIN and i didn't even think, i just bit him back. not hard, it didn't even leave a mark, but he was horrified and never bit me again. good luck!

I love the person who said hang out with people you don't like and let him bite away. I wish I'd thought of that..

Amelia was a biter for about 2 years. Nothing ever worked to get her to stop. (Yes i even tried biting her back at some point.) For her it was a reaction to something, boredom, she was tired or hungry or over stimulated or she usually bit me if she wanted my attention. Unfortunately the only solution I ever came up with was to watch her like a hawk and once she started biting her friends, we had to go home. Good luck, I hope it's just a passing phase for him! :-)